Nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Foreign Language Film, the delightful French romantic comedy Cousin Cousine (1975) tells the love story of two middle aged cousins related by marriage, Marthe (Marie-Christine Barrault) and Ludovic (Victor Lanoux), who meet at a family wedding. Both married to cheating spouses, Marthe and Ludovic are drawn to each other and begin a platonic friendship. When others begin noticing the obvious attraction between the two, however, Marthe and Ludovic consider taking their friendship to the next level.

Cousin Cousine became a popular international hit at the box office on the strength of its charming story and strong critical reception. The New York Times called the film "an exceptionally winning, wittily detailed comedy that is as much about family relationships as it is about love." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said, "It gives us, first of all, one of the most engaging and likable couples in recent movies. It gives us a feeling of a real human milieu, of the families these people belong in." Cousin Cousine went on to receive Academy Award nominations for Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress (Marie-Christine Barrault).

A successful American remake of Cousin Cousine called Cousins was released in 1989 starring Ted Danson and Isabella Rossellini as the fated lovers.

Producer: Daniel Toscan du Plantier
Director: Jean-Charles Tacchella
Screenplay: Jean-Charles Tacchella, Danièle Thompson
Cinematography: Eric Faucherre, Georges Lendi, Michel Thiriet
Music: Gérard Anfosso
Film Editing: Marie-Aimée Debril, Agnès Guillemot
Cast: Marie-Christine Barrault (Marthe), Victor Lanoux (Ludovic), Marie-France Pisier (Karine), Guy Marchand (Pascal), Ginette Garcin (Biju), Sybil Maas (Diane), Popeck (Sacy), Pierre Plessis (Gobert), Catherine Verlor (Nelsa), Hubert Gignoux (Thomas).
C-95m.

by Andrea Passafiume